Bokeh: japanese appreciation of 'out of focus'

["Edward Gosfield III, MD" <egosfield@nni.com>]

LUGers may enjoy the latest issue of Photo Techniques magazine (May/June
1997) which contains several articles discussing the effects, analysis, and
appreciation of 'out of focus' picture elements.  We LUGnuts are of course
afficionados of this characteristic, and have discussed it here at length on
multiple occasions. The articles mistakenly assert that such differences
between lenses have have been [..."virtually invisible to Western eyes for
so long.] (p35).  I guess they need to go through the LUG archives and
search on "Leica glow".

The Japanese have an afficion and special vocabulary for this lens quality
(="bokeh"), revere Leitz lenses for their 'bokeh' style--specifically the
35mm Summicron of 1979 design ("smooth bokeh"), and in some cases the DR
Summicron ("complex bokeh").  The Konica Hexar and several other Japanese
lenses are said to have been specifically computed to imitate desireable
Leitz bokeh characteristics.

The articles include examples of the effects of diaphragm and a discussion
of the effects of diferent degrees of over and undercorrected aberrations on
final image qualities.

It is further noted that Japanese home market advertisements of photo gear,
particularly Canon, include discussions of bokeh of particular products.

The same issue mentions that Sangean is testing a new interchangeable lens
35mm RF camera.

cheers

Ted Gosfield 
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mailto:egosfield@nni.com